*Chirp*

The birds made the same consistent chirping sound they do every morning and that is what woke me up for the day. I hop out of bed and walk outside my door and earliest in the morning my mother is yelling at my dad. She goes on about how he keeps leaving the horses out and about overnight. I walk to the kitchen and she stops yelling at him and directs me and says.

"Noah go put your shirt and pants on you'll be late for your lessons."

I stand there and ask "Can I eat first?"

She freezes her face and makes that look she gives me and I stopped talking and walked back to my room and shut the door. I got dressed and I walked back to the kitchen and ate something before leaving. As I was at the table my father told me.

"Alright Noah, well your mother and I wanted to tell you something."

I nod and say "OK say what?"

He looks over to my mother and she grabs the conversation and says.

"Well, we wanted to tell you that you will be a big brother."

When I heard the news I froze inside since this was so sudden and I look at my parents and say.

"Why?"

My mother scolded me about it and told me to go to the schoolhouse and I did so. I didn't like the idea of a sibling and it kind of was on my mind the entire way to school. On my arrival, I noticed something was off when I got to my teacher some students were missing. However I kind of just ignored it and waited for instructions.

Waiting for the teacher I sat on the floor leaning against the wall one of my friends walked over to me and said with a sneaky pestering tone.

"Hey, Noah guess what?"

I reply with obvious annoyance "What Karr?" He looked at me and said.

"Guess why some students are not here"

I sigh, sit up and say "Why Karr?"

He clears his throat and says "Some students snuck out and are having a sword battle with our training swords."

I look him in his eyes and I say "Where are they, lets join in on the fun."

I jump to my feet and as I do so Karr stops me and says "Well we would be skipping and you know how your mom is when you don't do good."

I stopped and thought and said, "I have an idea." "We just go, she will not find out."

I make my way across the room undetected since the teacher is focused on his work and as I make it to the door the teacher says.

"Alright students it's time for class to start, take your seats on your rug."

I muttered "Damnit." and I walk to my rug and sit following me was Karr.

My other friend Karr's twin sister Aubrey whispered to me "Noah."

I jump and panic because I kind of take a liking to Aubrey and I stay quiet shaking and she says.

"Quit being silly I know you can hear me."

I pry out "H-Hey Aubrey."

She tilts her head and puts her hand on my chest and I jump again and she whispers "Did you hear about the sword battles?"

I find the courage to say yes and she goes on about how she is going to join sometime and take down everyone. I suck it up and say.

"I w-was going to join too."

She smiles and says "Really we should go tomorrow."

"We, both of us go?"

I rushed those last words out and she replied "Sure is that a problem?"

"I didn't mean that it's just that I did not expect you to want me to go with you."

And I just spit out some nonsense about me and her and she got creeped out and just told me to go with her tomorrow. Lessons ended and I walked home and right before I left Karr told me that Aubrey was messing with me the entire time making me nervous and she does want to go to the sword fights with me. Hearing that made my day even better.

On my way home I stopped by the market and ran into my cousin Amber who goes by Tag since Amber doesn't sound manly. I say

"Hi Tag what are you doing here?"

He mentions something having to do with work and how he is in a rush and he just says hi and rushes out. This was normal of him but still kind of weird, I buy bread and walk home. Home is in view and yards away I run into 3 kids from my school Ace, Quire, and Lok they were kind of the school bullies. Ace says

"What are you looking at?"

"You looked at me first." I threw back

"No one said to talk earthquake."

Quire laughs, they call me earthquake because I shake a lot when I'm nervous, and as he says that I began shaking and they all laugh at me shaking in place and Ace walks closer and says.

"Have you hear of the secret sword battles?" "I assume you have I started it and I have beat everyone who showed up but you."

I say "So what of it."

"I'm going to beat you if you come to the secret sword battles know that." And he pushes me to the ground and walks away laughing. When they left I got up and walked home with my bread in one hand and my fist in the other. I walk in, lay the bread on the table, and I walk to my room looking unbothered.

*Later that night*

I walk into my father's armory and pick up one of his swords the Blade of Fury and I say to myself.

"We'll see who gets beat tomorrow."

And I cast the sword on my arm for tomorrow.